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Copyright © 2026 Toronto Seniors Housing Corporation

Recruitment Policy 

Policy Sponsor: Director, People and Culture
Approver: Leadership Team
Initial Approval Date: April 19, 2022
Date of Last Revision, if applicable: N/A
Effective Date: November 5, 2025

Policy Statement

Toronto Seniors Housing Corporation is committed to fair, equitable, and transparent recruitment practices, and to employing qualified, high performing candidates who reflect the diversity of Toronto, our communities, and our core values. Toronto Seniors Housing Corporation is also committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce that aligns with the Toronto Seniors Housing Corporation’s Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility (IDEA) policy, strategy, programs, or initiatives.

Policy Objective(s)

To ensure that Toronto Seniors Housing Corporation has fair and transparent processes in place to ensure we recruit and retain the best qualified candidates in compliance with all legislative requirements and aligns with our principles of inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility.

Scope

This policy applies to all internal and external recruitment (full-time, part-time, casual, seasonal, or temporary contract) for Toronto Seniors Housing Corporation positions, including but not limited to the following:

  • vacancies in the management/exempt category;
  • vacancies in the bargaining units;
  • internal expressions of interest for short-term vacancies
  • paid and unpaid student placements

Where this Policy conflicts with the requirements of a collective agreement, the collective agreement will govern.

Definitions

Acting Assignment: the temporary placement of an existing employee who is temporarily placed in an alternate position on a continuous basis for a period of 30 days or more. For more information see the Toronto Seniors Housing Corporation Acting Assignment Policy.

Advertisement(s): any vacancy that is advertised externally via the external career pages, websites, or print media.

Candidate: any individual, whether internal or external, who has applied for a vacancy and/or in response to a posting.

Conflict of Interest: any situation in which an employee’s personal or business interests may compete or appear to compete with their duties as an employee of Toronto Seniors Housing Corporation or may cause the employee to act contrary or appear to act contrary to the best interests of Toronto Seniors Housing Corporation. A conflict of interest can be an actual conflict, a potential conflict, or an apparent conflict of interest as per the TSHC Employee Conflict of Interest Policy.

Departmental Director: Director or other member of the Toronto Seniors Housing Corporation Leadership Team responsible for a specific department or function within the organization.

Expression of Interest: a streamlined recruitment process used to identify potential internal candidates for a specific temporary vacancy.

Hiring Manager: an employee who has direct or indirect supervisory responsibilities to the new hire or rehire and is leading the recruitment process.

HR Connect: is a cloud-based talent acquisition platform used to manage the recruitment process at Toronto Seniors Housing Corporation.

New Hire(s): all individuals being hired by Toronto Seniors Housing Corporation who are not or have not previously worked at Toronto Seniors Housing Corporation.

Permanent Position: a position where employment is for an indefinite period based on the operational needs of the organization.

Posting: refers to a vacancy that is advertised on Toronto Seniors Housing Corporation’s internet/intranet and/or other external websites.

Recruitment Specialist: A member of the People and Culture team of Toronto Seniors Housing Corporation.

Rehire(s): refers to any individual who previously worked at Toronto Seniors Housing Corporation prior to resigning, retiring, or being terminated.

Salary, Vacation or Benefits Exception: a situation that falls outside of the standards or past practice for Toronto Seniors Housing Corporation with regards to compensation, vacation, or benefits (this applies to management/exempt employees only).

Temporary Position: a fixed-term temporary position that is not an acting assignment, where employment is for a pre-determined period of time based on the operational needs of the organization.

Union: refers to employees represented by any of the following: Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Toronto Civic Employees Union Local 416 or CUPE Local 79. Also referred to in this policy as a “bargaining unit.”

Vacancy: a position that has become available at Toronto Seniors Housing Corporation when:

  • a permanent or temporary position becomes available, and it is determined by Toronto Seniors Housing Corporation that the vacancy should be filled; or
  • a permanent or temporary position is created and approved.

Roles and Responsibilities

Conflict of Interest

  • All employees involved in the recruitment process are responsible for complying with TSHC’s Employee Conflict of Interest Policy.
  • Employees must immediately declare a conflict of interest if they are in, or may be in, a conflict situation at any point during the recruitment process or upon the hiring of a successful candidate.
  • Employees are responsible for reviewing and adhering to the TSHC Employee Conflict of Interest Policy.

Confidentiality

  • All interview panel members are responsible for maintaining strict confidentiality throughout the recruitment process.
  • Panel members must ensure that candidate identities, interview questions and assessments, scoring, and results are not disclosed to anyone outside the hiring process.
  • Information gathered through recruitment activities must only be shared with employees who require the information for legitimate work-related purposes (e.g., the hiring manager, interview panel, and Recruitment Specialist).

Approvals

  • The Hiring Manager is responsible for ensuring that all required hiring approvals are in place before recruitment begins.
  • All new permanent positions must be approved and incorporated into the annual budgeting process.
  • Budgeted positions require approval from the Departmental Director before recruitment may proceed.

Unbudgeted Positions

  • Positions identified as unbudgeted in HR Connect require approval from the Finance team before any recruitment activity can begin.
  • The Recruitment Specialist is responsible for advising the Hiring Manager on the budget status of the position and the actions required to proceed.

New Positions

  • For newly created temporary or permanent positions, the Hiring Manager must complete a job description and job information questionnaire.
  • Where a comparable position exists at Toronto Community Housing Corporation (TCHC), recruitment may proceed with the understanding that the salary is under review until job evaluation is completed.
  • If no comparable position exists, the job must undergo evaluation before a job requisition can be created and the hiring process can proceed.

Recruitment Strategy

  • People and Culture, in partnership with the Hiring Manager, is responsible for defining the recruitment strategy. This includes:
    • area of search
    • timelines for filling the vacancy
    • selection and assessment criteria
    • Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA) considerations
    • composition of the interview panel
    • methods for attracting qualified candidates
  • People and Culture must also ensure that notices of new requisitions are provided to unions in accordance with collective agreement requirements.

Policy Content

Legislative Requirements

Ontario Human Rights Code, 1990 (OCHRC)

  • TSHC is committed to prevent discrimination in its recruitment practices based on any prohibited grounds in accordance with the Ontario Human Rights Code, 1990.

Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA)

  • TSHC is committed to accessible recruitment practices in accordance with its obligations under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 and its regulations, as well as the TSHC Accessibility Policy.
  • To improve accessibility in its recruitment practices, TSHC corporation will also:
    • include a notification in all job postings about the availability of accommodation in the recruitment process for candidates with disabilities
    • inform candidates who are chosen to participate in an assessment or selection process that accommodation in relation to materials and processes is available upon request
    • consult with candidates requesting accommodation to determine suitable accommodation that considers their accessibility needs
    • upon hire, inform successful candidates about Toronto Seniors Housing Corporation’s policies for accommodating and supporting employees with disabilities; and
    • comply with all other requirements of the AODA or TSHC policy regarding accessibility

Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA)

  • TSHC will comply with the ESA as it relates to its recruitment practices, including the following:
    • specific pay rates or ranges in job postings.
    • information about full compensation (vacation, pension plan, insurance, group benefits, etc.)
    • information relating to the use of artificial intelligence to screen, assess or select candidates
    • information on whether the posting is related to a current vacancy or to establish a talent pool to fill potential future vacancies; and
    • notify each interviewed applicant of the outcome within 45 days of their final interview

Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, 1990 (MFIPPA)

  • TSHC is committed to respecting privacy and protecting the personal information of employees and other candidates in accordance with MFIPPA. Toronto Seniors Housing Corporation also requests consent for reference information collected during the hiring process.

Job Postings

People and Culture, in consultation with the hiring manager, will determine the appropriate area of search and assume responsibility for costs of job postings or other job-related advertisements. The costs of any job advertisement requested by the hiring department that are not covered by People and Culture will be the responsibility of the hiring department. Any external advertisements must be approved by People and Culture before posting. Advertisements or postings for similar vacancies may be combined into one advertisement to make more efficient use of resources.

All vacancies must be posted internally on the Toronto Seniors Housing Corporation intranet careers page for a minimum of fourteen (14) calendar days. The vacancy may be advertised externally at the same time as the internal posting with no minimum posting requirement. People and Culture are responsible for arranging all internal and external job postings or other job-related advertisements.

All temporary positions and management/exempt acting assignments will specify the following language in the job posting: “Please note: This temporary position may be extended or become permanent to meet business needs. If this occurs, the position may not be reposted.”

Expectations for Posting Requirements

The Director, People and Culture may make exceptions to the fourteen (14) calendar day posting requirement in the following situations:

  • to directly assign a qualified employee whose position is at risk of being eliminated due to restructuring
  • to accommodate an employee in accordance with relevant legislation

In addition, exceptions to posting positions may be made if the same role is being filled within three (3) months of the original interviews and where qualified candidates remain available. In these cases, the job description for the role must be identical, and approval from the Director, People and Culture is required.

Application Process

All candidates must create an on-line profile and apply to vacancies through HR Connect. Candidates will be manually added to HR Connect as deemed necessary by the Recruitment Specialist and/or to satisfy TSHC’s obligations under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 or the Ontario Human Rights Code, 1990.

Late resume submissions and unsolicited applications are not considered. The People and Culture team may add candidates identified by approved recruitment sourcing techniques to the competition (i.e., candidates found through sourcing and networking).

Eligibility

Candidates must be legally entitled to work in Canada.

Former Toronto Seniors Housing Corporation employees may be considered for employment as per the procedures outlined in Re-Hiring Employees After Separation Policy.

Management and exempt employees may not start another position until they have completed six (6) months in their current position.

Employees who are members of CUPE TCEU Local 416 or CUPE Local 79 who have recently been hired or transferred into a new role at Toronto Seniors Housing Corporation must follow the requirements of their respective collective agreement.

Screening

Screening must be completed using objective selection criteria related to the minimum skills, experience, and qualifications required for the job as outlined in the applicable job description. The selection criteria must be consistent throughout competition for the position.

Once a job posting closes, the Recruitment Specialist screens all applications and identifies a shortlist of candidates. The screening results are to be documented in HR Connect.

To recognize and retain our top talent, where experience is comparable, qualified internal candidates are given priority consideration over external candidates.

Interviewing

Toronto Seniors Housing Corporation is committed to conducting interviews that are evaluated on a consistent and objective scale, in compliance with the Ontario Human Rights Code, 1990 and the Toronto Seniors Housing Corporation Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility (IDEA) strategy.

Interview guides, assessments, scoring and hiring panelists are to be approved by the Recruitment Specialist. In addition, the Recruitment Specialist may choose to participate in the interview process at their discretion (typically in cases where Hiring Managers are new to the organization or interview infrequently). All interview panelists are required to complete interview training offered by People and Culture prior to their participation in any interview.

Secondary selection methods such as presentations, assignments, practical/written tests, psychometric testing may also be used with the approval of the Recruitment Specialist, as determined in consultation with the hiring manager.

Interview notes are to be restricted to the assessment of the candidates’ qualifications. Completed interview guides must be returned to the Recruitment Specialist within five (5) days of scoring and will be retained by People and Culture for two (2) years after the date the successful candidate commences their position.

Candidate Selection and Job Offer

Candidate selection is based on an assessment of the candidate’s ability to perform the duties and responsibilities of the job as outlined in the applicable job description. In determining suitability for a position, Toronto Seniors Housing Corporation will consider factors such as the candidate’s education, experience, knowledge, abilities and where applicable, seniority or other relevant provisions within a collective agreement. Internal candidate selection for management and exempt positions also considers the candidate’s past performance at Toronto Seniors Housing Corporation.

The Hiring Manager, with the support of the Recruitment Specialist, will determine the preferred candidate and proceed with employment reference checking.

Employment Reference Checking

Reference checks are an important and integral part of the recruitment process. Toronto Seniors Housing Corporation ensures that the procedure for the collection and disclosure of reference information is practiced confidentially and consistently.

Consent must be obtained from the candidate (internal or external) prior to any references being conducted. No references than those provided by the preferred candidate may be contacted under any circumstances.

The Hiring Manager or the Recruitment Specialist may complete reference checks. Once completed, the Recruitment Specialist will review the results.

All new hires and rehires to Toronto Seniors Housing Corporation are required to have a minimum of two (2) employment references completed before a verbal or written offer is made.

Employment references should include direct supervisors, cover as much of the new hire or re-hire’s last five (5) years of work history as possible. Where possible, one reference should be from the candidate’s most recent employer.

In cases where the individual is a recent graduate and/or has less than one (1) year of work experience, other references or documentation may be accepted (i.e., non- supervisor references, recent performance appraisals, and teacher references). These decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis and with the approval of the Recruitment Specialist.

Internal candidates may be subject to an internal reference check as part of the hiring process, unless otherwise prohibited by the Collective Agreement. Where an internal reference check is required, the reference checks must be completed with any manager the employee has reported to in the last one (1) year period.

The Hiring Manager or the Recruitment Specialist may complete reference checks. Once completed, the Recruitment Specialist will review the results.

Final Selection and Job Offers

Once employment reference checks are completed, the Hiring Manager, with the support of the Recruitment Specialist will finalize the selection of the preferred candidate, and consider offer details relating to salary, benefits, and start date.

Salary Offers for Internal Candidates

Internal promotion occurs when an employee is assigned to another position with a higher maximum salary than that of their former position. An employee who is promoted should receive an increase of 10% or to the minimum of the new pay range, whichever is greater.

A request to approve an increase greater than 10% must be supported by a business rationale, reviewed by the Director of People and Culture, and approved by the CEO. The resulting salary should not be lower than the minimum or greater than maximum of the grade of the position to which the employee is being assigned.

Salary Offers for External Candidates

An external candidate who is offered a position is normally hired at the minimum of the grade for the position.

 When circumstances are warranted, the hiring manager may approve an increase of up to 5% above the minimum of the salary grade.

A request to offer a salary greater than 5% above the minimum of the salary range or any exceptions to vacation or benefits must be supported by a business rationale, reviewed by the Director of People and Culture, and approved by the CEO.

Once the offer details are confirmed, the competition will then proceed to the final stages in accordance with the following guidelines:

  • If required, the Hiring Manager must prepare a business rationale for any salary, benefits, or vacation exception requests.
  • Approvals must be obtained by the Departmental Director, the Director of People and Culture and the CEO prior to any verbal or written offers being made to the candidate.
  • Verbal offers will be made by the Recruitment Specialist and will highlight the main terms of employment including compensation, benefits, and start date.
  • After the verbal offer is accepted, a written offer will be sent through HR Connect for e-signature by the successful candidate. Any verbal offers are subject to the final written offer, which will contain all terms and conditions of employment, if required.
  • Police Background or Criminal Record Checks must be conducted before the start of employment, and any verbal or written offers should be conditional until they are completed.

Once the offer of employment is accepted in writing by the successful candidate, all other candidates will be informed of the outcome of the competition. Internal candidates may request feedback from the Hiring Manager, Recruitment Specialist, or as otherwise set out in the collective agreement.

For successful internal candidates, the Hiring Manager, the employee’s current Manager, and the candidate must arrange a mutually agreed upon transfer date. The Hiring Manager will advise the successful candidate prior to contacting their current manager to discuss the transfer date. The transfer date should take place no later than six weeks after the employee has accepted the offer, unless otherwise approved by the Director and People and Culture or designate. Recruitment for vacancies created by a transferring employee will, wherever possible, be treated as a priority.

Records Retention and Quality Assurance

The Recruitment Specialist is responsible for ensuring all applicable documentation in the recruitment process is retained onsite in the job requisition and candidate pages in HR Connect during active competition and for a minimum of two (2) years after.

A copy of the successful candidates’ resume, references, and police record check (if applicable) will be kept in their personnel file.

People and Culture will review recruitment files each quarter to ensure the requirements of applicable legislation, policies, procedures, and guidelines are met.

Related Legislation, Regulations, and TSHC Policies:

  • Ontario Municipal Act, 1990
  • Ontario Human Rights Code, 1990
  • Ontario Employment Standards Act, 2000.
  • Ontario Occupational Health and Safety Act, 1990
  • Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005
  • Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, 1990
  • TSHC Accessibility Policy
  • TSHC Accessible Customer Service Policy
  • TSHC Acting Assignment Policy
  • CUPE TCEU Local 416 Collective Agreement
  • CUPE Local 79 Collective Agreement
  • TSHC Employee Conflict of Interest Policy
  • TSHC Human Rights, Harassment and Fair Access Policy
  • TSHC Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion strategy
  • TSHC Re-Hiring Employees After Separation Policy
  • TSHC Vacation Policy

Amendments (Revision History):

Initial policy approved by Leadership Team on April 19, 2022

Policy reviewed on October 6, 2025, with the following revisions, approved by Leadership Team on November 5, 2025

  • Policy title changed from Hiring Policy to Recruitment Policy
  • Added promotional increase provision for internal candidates
  • Added salary offer provision for external candidates

Next Scheduled Review Date: 2028

This policy will be reviewed once every three (3) years.

Policy Contact

Director, People and Culture

Appendices

N/A